Twelve years ago -- (chants of "Hillary, Hillary!")
-- when our country needed new leadership, Americans selected
a Democrat who gave us eight years of peace, prosperity and
promise. (Cheers, applause.) Tonight -- tonight I have the
pleasure of introducing the last great Democratic president
-- (cheers, applause) -- but first I want to say a few words
about the next great Democratic president, John Kerry. (Cheers,
applause.)

You know, I, like all of you, just heard the moving testimonials
about the horrors of September the 11th and the extraordinary
witnessing by Reverend Alston concerning his lieutenant,
John Kerry.

I don't know how any American could hear the Reverend Alston
and not know John Kerry is the man we need to be our president
and commander in chief! (Cheers, applause.)

And yes, we meet at a moment of great peril, but also of
great promise for the country we love. Together we can once
again widen the circle of opportunity for all Americans.
We can once again transcend our differences and divisions.
We can once again give our children a safer and more secure
future. That is the promise of America, and John Kerry will
renew and keep that promise to this generation and generations
to come. He knows very well that you have to lead the world,
not alienate it. He will -- (cheers, applause.) He will lower
the deficit, not raise it. He will create good jobs, not
lose them. And he will solve a health care crisis for our
people, not ignore it. (Cheers, applause.)

Now I know a thing or two about health care. (Laughter,
applause.) And I know that the problems have only gotten
worse in the last four years. We need to rededicate ourselves
to the task of providing health care coverage for the 44
million Americans who don't have it. (Applause.) And we have
to do more to lower the costs for all the rest of Americans,
who are facing increasing health care insurance premiums
and drug prices. (Applause.)

We also -- we also need to lift the ban on stem cell research
-- (cheers, applause) -- and find cures that will help millions
of Americans. (Applause continues.)

You know, health care is a serious issue, and it requires
serious solutions. And that's what John Kerry is good at,
and that's what he will give us.

He will also give us something else: a great vice president
by the name of John Edwards. (Cheers, applause.)

Now you know that John Edwards is smart, he's energetic,
and he's empathetic. And he understands the challenges that
hardworking Americans face in their daily lives. Americans
will be proud to have the Kerry-Edwards team in the White
House, and they will be proud, as we all will be, to have
their extraordinary partners, Teresa Heinz Kerry and Elizabeth
Edwards, working for our country as well. (Cheers, applause.)

Now, you know, we've been through our share of challenges
as Americans; you know, from a Civil War to a Great Depression
to world wars and so much more. But being a senator from
New York, I saw firsthand -- (cheers, applause) -- as all
of my friends and colleagues did, the devastation of September
the 11th. I visited Ground Zero the day after we were attacked,
and I felt like I was standing at the gates of hell.

I hope no American ever has to witness a horrible sight
like that ever again. And yet, that tragedy both changed
and challenged us. I know it did for me. And every day now
as a mother, as a senator, as an American, I worry about
whether we are acting as wisely as we can to protect our
country and our people.

Last week the bipartisan 9/11 commission issued its report,
and that commission would never have been in existence had
it not been for the brave family members who insisted that
this government have a commission to look into 9/11. (Cheers,
applause.) And those commissioners issued a sober call to
action that we ignore at our peril.

John Kerry understands what's at stake when it comes to
our security. We need to fully equip and train our firefighters,
our police officers, and our emergency medical technicians.
(Applause.)

They are our first responders in the event of a terrorist
attack. And we need to secure our borders, our rail lines
and our ports, as well as our chemical and nuclear plants.

We need to reorganize our federal government to meet the
new threats of these times. And we need to make sure that
homeland security is a priority, and that it is funded properly,
and that the resources go to the areas of greatest risk,
like New York City. (Cheers, applause.)

And along with that, we need to take care of our men and
women in uniform, who like John Kerry, risk their lives,
and for too many lost their lives in service to our country.
These brave Americans deserve better. We need -- (cheers,
applause). We need to increase our troop strength, we need
to raise their pay. We need to provide our veterans, our
National Guard and Reserve with the benefits they are entitled
to for the service and duty they perform for our nation!
(Cheers, applause.)

And do you know, do you know what we need to meet these
challenges? We need a new commander in chief named John Kerry!
(Cheers, applause.) I've been saying for many months now
John Kerry is a serious man for a serious job in a serious
time in our country's history.

So let's join together, not just those of us in this great
hall tonight, but throughout our nation, and do everything
we possibly can to convince our fellow Americans to look
to the future, to look deep inside themselves. They know
what is best for our children. And if we just have the courage
to act on our conviction, we will, by an overwhelming majority,
send John Kerry and John Edwards to do their duty for us
in the White House starting next year! (Cheers, applause.)

I am very optimistic about this election because I think
I know a great leader when I see one. (Cheers, applause.)
And so does America! In 1992 and 1996, Americans chose a
president who left our country in better shape than when
he took office. (Cheers, applause.) And he still spends his
days working to empower the powerless; to promote racial,
religious and ethnic reconciliation; to inspire young people
to citizen service; and to bring life-saving medicines to
people living with HIV-AIDS throughout the world. (Cheers,
applause.) He showed Democrats how to win again, and so will
John Kerry.

Please welcome the 42nd president of the United States,
Bill Clinton! (Cheers, applause.)